LOGINDita looked stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed and patted my arm. "Stop joking around, seriously."In an instant, her expression turned serious again. She looked at me with that deep, warm gaze—the Dita I had known for years. "I know you're not the kind of girl who would do something so evil. And I trust that Jefri would never betray me."My heart sank. I could only stare at her with a blank expression. Why did I have to hear this? In a heartbeat, Dita had made me feel like the most wicked person on earth.If only Dita had told me earlier that Jefri was her fiancé, I never would have fallen so hard. But now, what could I do?I was already trapped in this forbidden relationship. And worse, I couldn't escape, no matter how hard I tried.Forgive me, Dita, I thought to myself. I've wronged you so badly.After a moment of silence, Dita’s phone rang. She dug into her bag and answered."Hello... Yes, sir. I’ll be back at the office right away."She spoke briefly on the phone, then t
Dita turned to me, her eyes wide. Her lips trembled, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. "I..."She suddenly squeezed my hand, her expression turning panicked. "Erika... You’re the only one who knows about my relationship with Roy. Please... never, ever mention Roy in front of Jefri, okay?""So, this is what you call 'no secrets between us'?" I retorted. I gave her a bitter smile and looked away. "Turns out Jefri doesn't even know, does he? That you’ve been chasing Roy for the entire year you’ve been engaged to him."Dita bit her lip, glancing at me sideways. "That was the past, Erika... I’ve decided to choose Jefri now."How easy it was for her to say that. How easily she hopped from one heart to another without a second thought for anyone else.I sighed heavily, looking at her with a cynical expression. "If you’re still in love with Roy, why even say yes to Jefri?"Dita let out a weary breath. She pulled her legs up onto the bench, hugging her knees to her chest. "When Jefri
Jefri wiped away my tears with a cold expression. "Don't be childish, Erika," he protested, lifting my chin with a sharp, piercing gaze. "We’re both adults. Besides... weren't you the one who came to my house and surrendered yourself to me?"He was right. Jefri was right. I was the one who asked for this agreement. From the beginning, I was the one who insisted on trading my body for the company.I shouldn't have been protesting, because from the start, Jefri only ever wanted my body. I should have just been self-aware and stopped mixing business with feelings.I gave a small, bitter laugh and swatted his hand away from my face. "I know. I was just talking nonsense. Forget about it."I immediately turned to leave, but Jefri grabbed my hand again. He pulled me into a tight embrace, squeezing my fingers before crushing his lips against mine in a savage kiss.He only pulled away after several seconds, staring into my eyes with intense possessiveness. "Don't ever say anything that ruins t
Jefri refused to break the kiss, even as Dita was getting closer.I saw Dita, busy with her phone pressed to her ear, carrying a basket of fruit.The moment she was almost within reach, Jefri finally pulled away. I immediately ducked, hiding behind his broad frame.I peeked up slightly and saw Jefri smiling happily, as if he were thoroughly enjoying my panic."You’re so cruel!" I whispered, my lips pouting.He just smiled even wider, bracing his hands against the wall. "You’re so adorable," he teased, showing not a hint of anxiety.Sometimes I wondered, Does Jefri actually love Dita or not? Are they truly engaged, or are they just messing with me?I peeked at Dita from behind Jefri’s coat. Luckily, she finally turned to the right. If she had turned left, we would have collided, and she would have caught me making out with her fiancé. I doubted I’d have been able to talk my way out of that one.A few seconds later, my phone rang. I fumbled into my bag and grabbed it, keeping my eyes gl
Mom hugged me back, kissing my face over and over. "I’ve already forgiven you, sayang... I’m so sorry I was so harsh with you. Please forgive me too, my child..."We were both drowning in tears, holding each other tightly. We didn't care that people were walking by, witnessing our moment of raw emotion. We just kept holding on, finding strength in each other while wiping away one another's tears.After being lost in that moment for a while, we decided to return to Dad’s room. I had been away from Jefri and Dad for about 30 minutes.However, the moment I pushed the door open, I saw something truly bizarre. I froze on the threshold, stunned, because Jefri and Dad were embracing each other."Jefri..." I gasped, completely shocked.Jefri turned toward me and instinctively pulled away. He wiped his watery eyes before finally getting up from the chair.My body went numb. My brain struggled to process what I was actually seeing. Jefri was crying? I thought.He had been holding Dad so warmly—
"Huh?" Mia’s eyes went wide, her jaw practically hitting the floor.She then stared at Jefri, cupping her cheeks with sparkling eyes. "That’s Jefri? No way... Why is he so handsome?"Jefri spared her a brief glance before looking away with a cynical expression. He strode toward me with a sweet smile, took my hand, and said, "Let’s go, darling. Let's go see your father."My face instantly flushed. I probably looked like a cherry.Before we left, I couldn't help but peek at Mia from behind Jefri’s back. "My 'old geezer' is pretty handsome, right?" I teased, sticking my tongue out at her.Mia’s face soured. Her brows knit together, and her lips curled into a pout.Jefri and I walked toward Dad’s room and stopped right at the door. We stood facing each other, our hands still intertwined. I looked up to meet his eyes, smiling broadly as I whispered, "Thank you...""For what?" Jefri replied with a faint, knowing smile.I looked down at our clasped hands and squeezed tighter. I looked back i
I stood up abruptly, startled. Mother did the same; she stood frozen for a few seconds, staring at the form. Tears fell, dampening the paper in her hand. She wiped them away and then, with a trembling hand, signed the surgery consent form."Please save my husband, Doctor," Mother’s voice wavered as
My eyes widened instantly. Could Father be suspicious of something?No. I was certain he didn't know the thesis I had prepared was not my own work. Only Roy and I knew that. Perhaps Father was simply feeling worried.I quickly broke into a smile, then answered Father’s question with full confidence
I froze upon hearing Father's suspicion. However, I immediately embraced him tighter to distract him so he wouldn't become more suspicious."Dad, why are you always suspicious of me?""Because you have a rebellious streak," Father said, pinching my nose. "It's highly likely you've disobeyed me agai
"Erika... that’s not what I meant," Dita said, touching my thigh, as if to emphasize that I had misunderstood her. "This isn't about me; it's about you."I brushed her hand away with a cold stare, then moved from my chair to stand before the window, gazing blankly toward the swimming pool. "I know







